Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron has been in trade rumors for months now and he might be a little more valuable than initially thought. As a 2014 draft pick, McCarron was believed to be under contract through the 2017 season. But, because he spent most of his rookie year on the non-football injury list, he’ll only be a restricted free agent after the ’17 campaign, former agent and CBSSports.com columnist Joel Corry tweets. 
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Now that McCarron can be kept for relatively little money for an extra year, he’s simultaneously more attractive as a trade chip and more attractive to Cincinnati as a backup QB. Still, McCarron has indicated that he wouldn’t mind getting traded to a team that would give him a playing opportunity. As it stands, he is blocked behind starter Andy Dalton.
McCarron saw some burn in 2015 when Dalton was out with injury and it was enough to intrigue rival teams about his potential. In the final four games of ’15, McCarron passed for 832 yards and six touchdowns against just two interceptions.
McCarron’s 2017 contract calls for him to carry a modest $735K cap number. It’s not immediately clear how much he is slated to earn in this new 2018 season.
Unless they get a 1st rd pick they won’t trade him. It would be smart to keep him. But he probably will not be happy about it. Bad news for him, great news for the bengals!!
really you would say no to a 2 for your backup qb?
It’s the bengals man, Mike brown will keep him just because they can control him for two more years. Hence my name lol
Depending on the team a 2nd round pick would be more than OK for a guy who has played 4 pro games and was a 5th round prick in the draft.
Lmao I see what you did
Texans should think about him. He looked decent in his starts and would be a low cost option to Brock
It’s nice to see that the national press is figuring out what Bengal fans have known all along.
It won’t take a 1 to get McCarron. I’m anticipating the Bengals packaging him with a late pick for an early 2. I’d love to be wrong, and see them get a first round pick, though.
The story has been around for a while that, last offseason, a team (presumably the Vikings) offered a 2 and 4. If the Bengals got that again, I think they’d jump on it.
Broncos or Browns or bears depending on Jimmy G.